Letter-slot attachment.



J. POPENHAGEN.

LETTER SLOT ATTACHMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.11, 1909.

Patented July 26,1910.

WITNESSES INVENTOR I 6 JmY J/Y pa am/mya/z ATTORNE V8 TN: NORRIS PEZ'ER: 6a,, WASHINGTON, D Q

To all whom it may concern:

n rrn Enron.

JOSEPH POPENHAGEN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Be it known that I, JOSEPH POPENHAGEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Letter-Slot Attachment, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to attachments for letter slots, and more particularly it has in view the providing of means to close a slot made in a trunk or other receptacle through which letters may be disposed.

By the use of my improvement, the occupant of a room when absent mayrest assured that his letters will not be misplaced after they have been pushed through a slot by the servant, in accordance with the instructions given.

Still further objects of the invention will appear in the following complete description, it being understood that the scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view of a receptacle to which my attachment is applied; Fig. 2 is an end View of a receptacle showing my attachment; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the trunk or other receptacle 5, has a tray or drawer 6, and that in the side or front of the receptacle 5 there is a slot 7 and that in the side or front of the tray or drawer 6 there is a slot 8, which registers with the slot 7. Below the slot 7 there is a recess 9 in the side of the receptacle 5, there being shoulders 10 projecting into the recess 9, the shoulders 10 being adapted to serve as an abutment for a coiled spring 11. The outer surface of the side 12 of the receptacle 5 in which the slot 7 is made, is cut away as at 13, a slide 1 1 being adapted to move in the said cutaway portion 13. This slide 14 has an orifice 15 in which is disposed a member having two arms 16 and 17 respectively. The arm 17 is bent downwardly at a distance from the slide 14: so that its terminal is disposed substantially parallel with the slide 14. The coiled spring 11 is disposed around the depending porsp ecification of Letters Patent. Application filed November 11, 1909.

LETTER-SLOT ATTACHMENT.

. Serial No. 527,394.-

tion of the arm 17, one end of the spring abutting against. the shoulder 10, as has been stated, the other end of the spring 11' abutting at one side against the horizontal portion of the arm 16. It will, therefore,

Patented July 26, 1910.

be seen that the spring 11 tends to hold the I slide 14 yieldingly upward, closing the slot 7. A plate 18 is secured to the side 12 of the receptacle 5, the plate 18 having a slot 19 which registers with the slots 7 and 8, there beingalso a slot 20 in the plate 18, the slot 20 being disposed substantially at right angles to the slot 19. The arm 16 is disposed through the slot 20, a button 21 being secured to the terminal of this arm so that it may be easily lowered against the pressure of the spring 11.

In using my invention, the owner of the trunk or receptacle 5 may lock it and give or leave instructions to or with the servant, to deposit his letters through the slot 19, and when the letters are delivered by the postman the servant will then push down the button 21, thereby moving downwardly the slide 14: and opening the slot 19, when a letter may be pushed therethrough, the letter falling in the tray 6 of the trunk or receptacle 5. If desired, a pocket may be made in the tray 6, in which the letters will fall when they are deposited through the slot 19.

By the use of my attachment, all the letters arriving for the owner of the trunk or receptacle 5 may be gathered together in a box under lock, and there will be absolutely no danger that the letters will go astray.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A receptacle, having a slot, there being a recess in the receptacle in close proximity to the slot, a slide within an orifice therein adapted to close the slot, a member having a bent arm disposed through the orifice, the inner terminal of the arm bein disposed in a recess substantially parallel with the slide, and a spring which engages the arm adapted for holding it and the slide yieldingly extended.

2. A receptacle having a slot therein, a slide adapted for closing the slot, a bent arm secured to the slide, the terminal of the arm being disposed substantially parallel with the slide, and a spring which engages the arm adapted for holding it and the slide, yieldingly extended.

- 3. A receptacle having a slot therein, a recess in the receptacle in close proximity to extended, a' plate secured to the receptacle; and having a slot which registers with the slot in the receptacle, there being a second. slot in the plate at an angle to the first mentioned slot, and a second arm secured to the slide, which projects through the second mentioned slot in the plate. V

4. A receptacle having slot, there being a recess in the receptacle with a shon derdi'sposed in clos proximity to the side, a slide adapted to close the slot, an arm secured to the slide and disposed in the recess, the armbeing bent at a distance from the slide substantially parallel with the slot and away from the slot, and aspring disposed around the free end of the arm, the spring being adapted to be compressed between the other end of the arm and the shoulder.

plate at '5. A receptacle having a slot, there being 'a recess in the receptacle with a shoulder disposed in close proximity to the slot, a slide adapted to close the slot, an arm secured to the slide and disposed in the recess, the arm being bent at a distance from the slide substantially parallel with the slot and away from the slot, a spring disposed around the free end of the arm, the spring being adapted to be compressed between the other end "o the arm and the "shoi'ilder, a plate ecured to the fees aisle, and having a slot whichiregisters wit the "slot in the 'c'eptaele, there being a second slot the an angle to the inst in'eiitione'd slet, 'ahd a second arm which projects through the second mentioned slot of the plate;

In testlfrh'oiiy whereof I hav'e signed in name to this speclficatioh in the presence 0" two subscribingwithesse's.

JOSEPH POPENHAGEN.

Witnesses:

M. SALfioi ison,

L. A. Letters. 

